4-28-26 City Council Proceedings - Final Budget Hearing
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:30 p.m. on April 28, 2026, in
the second-floor Council Chambers of the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6 th Street.
Present: Mayor Cavanagh; Council Members Leyendecker, Resnick, Roussell,
Sprank, Staver, Wethal; City Manager Van Milligen.
Mayor Cavanagh read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council
called for the purpose of conducting such business that may properly come before the
City Council.
PUBLIC HEARING
1. Fiscal Year 2027 Amended Budget Recommendation : Motion by Resnick to
receive and file the documents and adopt Resolution No. 160-26 Adopting the City of
Dubuque Five Year Capital Improvement Program and Resolution No. 161-26 Adopting
the City of Dubuque Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Budget. Seconded by Wethal. Chief
Financial Officer Jennifer Larson provided a PowerPoint presentation outlining the
amended budget recommendation. Public input was provided by Rob McDonald, Mike
Welu, Roseann Schromen, Catherine Sorenson, James Ploessl, Jean McDonald, Jane
Schmidt, Jim McClain, Clark Schloz, Leonard Dress, Chuck Harris, Roger Arensdorf,
Kevin Kneeper, Mike Murphy, and Sean Schriver. Dubuque Humane Society President
and CEO Jayme Ironside thanked Council for the ongoing partnership. Council
members discussed the review of procedures, projects of interest, and the appreciation
for all the input they have received from residents. Motion carried 7-0.
ACTION
1. Establishing Water Utility Rates for Fiscal Year 2027: Motion by Roussell to
receive and file the documents and that the requirement that a proposed ordinance be
considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at
which it is to be passed be suspended. Seconded by Wethal. Motion carried 7-0.
Motion by Roussell for final consideration and passage of Ordinances No. 15-26
Establishing City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 13 Public Utilities, Chapter 1
Water Use and Service, Article C Rates, Section 13-1C-1(A) Fixing Water Rates for
Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and All Other Uses and Ordinance No. 16-26
Establishing the City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 13 Public Utilities Chapter 1
Water Use and Service, Article C Rates Section 13-1C-2 Fixing Water Rates for Fire
Sprinkler Service. Seconded by Wethal. Motion carried 7-0.
2. Establishing Sanitary Sewer Utility Rates for Fiscal Year 2027: Motion by Sprank
to receive and file the documents and that the requirement that a proposed ordinance
be considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at
which it is to be passed be suspended. Seconded by Roussell. Motion carried 7-0.
Motion by Sprank for final consideration and passage of Ordinance No. 17 -26 City of
Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 13 Public Utilities, Chapter 2 Sewers and Sewage
Disposal, Article C Rates, Section 13-2c-3 Rates Established for Fiscal Year 2027.
Seconded by Roussell. Motion carried 7-0.
3. Establishing Water and Resource Recovery Center (WRRC) Fee Schedules Fiscal
Year 2027: Motion by Wethal to receive and file the documents and adopt Resolution
No. 162-26 Establishing the Schedule of Rates for the Disposal of Private Hauled
Waste to the Water & Resource Recovery Center as Provided for in 13 -2b-8(F) of the
City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances. Seconded by Resnick. Motion carried 7-0.
4. Establishing Stormwater Management Utility Rates for Fiscal Year 2027 : Motion by
Roussell to receive and file the documents and that the requirement that a proposed
ordinance be considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the
meeting at which it is to be passed be suspended. Seconded by Wethal. Motion carried
7-0.
Motion by Roussell for final consideration and passage of Ordinance No.18-26
Amending City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Section 13-4-5 (D) SFU Rate, Charges;
Utility Revenues. Seconded by Wethal. Motion carried 7-0.
5. Five-Year Street Construction Program for Fiscal Years 2027 -2031: Motion by
Resnick to receive and file the documents and adopt Resolution No. 163 -26 Adopting
the Five-Year Street Construction Program for Fiscal Years 2027 – 2031. Seconded by
Wethal. Motion carried 7-0.
6. Establishing Solid Waste Utility Rates for Fiscal Year 2027: Motion by Sprank to
receive and file the documents and that the requirement that a proposed ordinance be
considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at
which it is to be passed be suspended. Seconded by Roussell. Motion carried 7-0.
Motion by Sprank for final consideration and passage of Ordinance No. 19-26
Amending City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 13 Public Utilities, Chapter 6 Solid
Waste. Seconded by Wethal. Motion carried 7-0.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mayor Cavanagh declared the meeting adjourned at
8:35 p.m.
/s/Trish L. Gleason, Assistant City Clerk